My Sea Max 130 build

[AriMiko43]

Okay, so I started my 130 build and got it all set up and running. I have about 50lbs of live rock and 60lbs of live sand. I used RO/DI water to fill the tank. I still need a Tunze 9002 skimmer for it but every site I checked has them on backorder till 3/2610. I would like to thank the members of this forum for information and advice given to me. I would also like to thank Al [Aaron23] & Ed [Anen], The 2 members that I have met with and purchased the materials used to build this tank. Thank you Al for the tank setup and being so friendly and thank you Ed for the beautiful rock and frags and also being so friendly.

Ed has asked me to start a tank thread so he can see the build and progress of the rock and corals he sold me. Plus I would also like to start one anyway so all of you can see it and comment on it. It's also good so I could always look back and see what it was when it started and what it has become and developed. Here are some pictures of the tank alone and then as the set up went on. I will post more pictures as new things are added to the tank. Thank you all :smile:

 

[ZANYMASTER]

Very nice,Now try to get the surface skimmer for it.

 

[PON]

how old is the tank, its looks brand new. what kind of frags you have in it?

 

[AriMiko43]

Its a week old... I got a piece of texas holey rock in there and added 30 lbs of fully cured live rock that has been curing for 8 months right to it. The frags are purple efflo flouria, green star polyps, some zoa's and a green toadstool.

 

[PON]

looking foward to see the tank in the coming months, gotta love the red sea max. I just got the 250

 

[AriMiko43]

Pon I would like to check out your tank. I want to get the 250 sea max

 

[tomtoothdoc]

Its a week old... I got a piece of texas holey rock in there and added 30 lbs of fully cured live rock that has been curing for 8 months right to it. The frags are purple efflo flouria, green star polyps, some zoa's and a green toadstool.

first welcome aboard to our addiction.
i am not trying to rain on your parade but am i seeing this right? frags in a brand new set up? has the tank even cycled? i am assuming the corals were stuck onto the live rock when you put them in?!?
generally you would want to cycle the tank first before putting any live stock in. depending on whom you speak to, length of time for the tank to cycle varies but almost certainly more than one week. i hope that i am wrong but the corals may not survive the cycling.
please do a bit more reading on keeping a reef tank. here is a good book to start with::wink1:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1890087025/?tag=reefs04-20

also you might want to move that rock on the left bottom away from the side a little bit so an algae magnet can pass thru. otherwise nice rocks.

 

[AriMiko43]

Yes, I know it is to soon but being the rock is all cured and was running in a system for 8 months it is loaded with bacteria. I transferred the rocks right out the old system, kept them wrapped with wet newspapers and put them into the new system within 20 mins. So far all my tests are testing good, If there is any change in them I will take the frags out and transfer them to other other tank that has been running for a while and all cycled. I am testing everyday and keeping a close eye on everything. I can take 3 of the 4 frags out and transfer them being one is a lil colony of zoa's stuck to a rock. I know you are trying to be helpful and I appreciate it. These rocks are loaded with all kinds of life. There are a bunch of amphipods, some little snails, slugs and a starfish here and there. Are these life forms safe for a reef tank? I sometimes see amphipods hanging out on the green star polyps. Are they eating it? I will also move that rock over a bit on the left because you are right a magnet does not pass through.

 

[AriMiko43]

I am having a diatom bloom. I am going on to the third week of the tank set up. This tank was set up with ro/di water, 40 lbs live sand, 22lb texas holey rock and 30 lbs of cured live rock. In the filter media I have purigen, carbon pad top chamber, chemi pure on the middle chamber and the noodles on the bottom chamber. I also have 1 Koralia 2 powerhead to help circualte the water better. I have not had any traces of ammonia or nitrites throughout the time the tank has been running and my nitrates are low. I have 2 mexican turbo snails and a trochus snail in there to try to clean up the diatom. I have read that this diatom bloom in normal and will go away on it's own in a newly set up tank. I cant help but to stick my hands in there and overturn the sand and scrape the glass to rid the diatom but it comes right back the next day when the lights are on. Any tips to get rid of this problem or should I just wait it out?

 

[Tarazed]

Diatoms

Let it be, its part of the cycle and will disappear eventually. Also, you may want to run something to remove phosphates, ie phosban or rowaphos.

 

[tomtoothdoc]

Let it be, its part of the cycle and will disappear eventually. Also, you may want to run something to remove phosphates, ie phosban or rowaphos.

+1. definitely get some phos. remover. bulkreefsupply got some very economical and effective ferric oxide. there are also instructions and videos on their site.
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/carbon-and-gfo

 

[anen]

Hey just found your thread! Wow, my rock looks so much nicer under your lights =)

Okay, so I started my 130 build and got it all set up and running. I have about 50lbs of live rock and 60lbs of live sand. I used RO/DI water to fill the tank. I still need a Tunze 9002 skimmer for it but every site I checked has them on backorder till 3/2610. I would like to thank the members of this forum for information and advice given to me. I would also like to thank Al [Aaron23] & Ed [Anen], The 2 members that I have met with and purchased the materials used to build this tank. Thank you Al for the tank setup and being so friendly and thank you Ed for the beautiful rock and frags and also being so friendly.

Ed has asked me to start a tank thread so he can see the build and progress of the rock and corals he sold me. Plus I would also like to start one anyway so all of you can see it and comment on it. It's also good so I could always look back and see what it was when it started and what it has become and developed. Here are some pictures of the tank alone and then as the set up went on. I will post more pictures as new things are added to the tank. Thank you all :smile:

 

[AriMiko43]

Update on the Sea Max 130....